Innovators all: Infosys Science Foundation honours 6 eminent researchers
Bengaluru: The Infosys Science Foundation honoured the winners of the Infosys Prize 2016 at an award ceremony, celebrating their journeys and contributions to science and research.
The award consists of a citation along with a 22-carat gold medallion and a cash prize of Rs 65 lakh and is awarded across six fields, including engineering and computer science, humanities, life sciences, mathematical sciences, physical sciences and social sciences.
Nobel laureate Dr Venkatraman Ramakrishnan, who was the chief guest, felicitated the winners. He said, “In a complex and technological world, it is increasingly important for all of us to understand the basis of science and technology, and to distinguish evidence-based facts from speculation and myth. Scientists work quietly to advance the state of our understanding in areas from pure mathematics and physics all the way to medicine and engineering. The Indian government under-invests in science. Unlike European countries, investment in R&D by the private sector in India is also abysmally low.”
The winners were chosen from over 250 nominations. Prof V. Kumaran, from the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru was awarded for his exceptional work in the field of micro-fluid devices under the engineering and computer science category. Kumaran’s work is important in developing innovative technologies for lab-on-a-chip devices, especially in the field of cardiovascular health.
Prof. Kaivan Munshi, Professor of Economics, at the University of Cambridge, UK, who received the award in the Social Sciences category for his research on the role of informal community networks in economic development, said, “Generally, economies undertake a journey from a pre-market to a full-fledged economy. In a developing country, however, ethnic groups and communities have strong internal networks. They are well-organised. If you want to start something, who do you go to for labour and resources? Someone from the community. This is also why the caste system is still prevalent. In an economical sense, people prefer to marry within their own caste because of the economic benefits, so making it illegal won’t stop the system from existing. As the economy becomes developed, these issues will lose their importance.”
Speaking on the importance of immigrants in an economy he said, “The free movement of immigrants is beneficial for any economy to grow. Restricting them would lead to political benefits in some cases but no one knows if it is actually a good thing or not yet. It is a long process of collecting data, analysing them and then reaching a conclusion.”
